To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance her Department has issued to primary care trusts on how they should interpret their duty to meet all reasonable requirements for NHS dentistry under the Health and Social Care Act 2003. (138262)

The commissioning framework set out in the Annex to “Health Reform in England”, published by the Department in July 2006, sets out guidance for commissioning national health service services. Further guidance on commissioning is set out in the “Commissioning framework for health and well-being” published in March 2007. The principles and features of good commissioning set out in these documents, including the importance of assessing local needs, reviewing service provision, deciding priorities, designing services and seeking public and patient views, apply to commissioning primary dental care services.